Gilmore Girls Could Be Canceled After Season 1, If It Wasn’t For Its Insane Time Slot
Everything worked out as it was supposed to.
Right now, a show's success depends mostly on production quality and a good marketing campaign. Since new TV shows are released on digital platforms as well as on broadcast networks, there's no pressure to get a lot of people tuned in for the actual premiere.
But that wasn't always the case. In fact, back in the days when audiences relied solely on their TV sets for entertainment, certain ratings could make or break the future of a show. This was the main concern of every showrunner and producer involved in creating a new story, and it was the reason why so many shows in the 90s and 00s ended up being canceled.
The same fate was initially written for Gilmore Girls. No matter how great the scripts were and how relatable the show ended up being for many families, the odds weren't exactly in its favor. In fact, it was pitted against another sitcom that was much more popular at the time, Friends.
As actress Lauren Graham, who played Lorelai Gilmore on the show, admitted years later in an interview with CNN, she didn't really believe the show would succeed. Nor could she ever have imagined the outpouring of love from the public.
But being up against something as powerful as Friends did wonders for Gilmore Girls:
“It was because we were in that insane time slot that they let it just be, you know, and that’s as much a part of its success as anything. They didn’t expect us to do anything because it was an impossible night,” the actress said.
Later on, as the audience found out about Gilmore Girls and the word of the series spread around, many changed their preference and stuck by its side. Luckily, there was no need to compete with other large players in the industry game, as Gilmore Girls made itself the name of its own.
If you are feeling nostalgic and want to freshen up your memory of Gilmores, you can go ahead and stream the series on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
Source: CNN